Raphinha 'wants Barcelona stay amid Arsenal interest'

Barcelona winger Raphinha reportedly has no plans to leave the club amid interest from Arsenal.

The Gunners are expected to delve back into the January transfer market after missing out on top target Mykhaylo Mudryk, who completed his £88.6m move from Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's side are currently light in the forward department as summer signing Gabriel Jesus faces a lengthy period on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery at the end of last year.

A recent report claims that Arsenal have rekindled their interest in 26-year-old Raphinha, who the Gunners were keen to sign last summer before he ultimately left Leeds United to join Barcelona for a fee in the region of £55m.

The Brazil international has experienced a mixed spell in Catalonia so far this season, contributing with three goals and five assists but starting only 12 of his 22 appearances across all competitions under head coach Xavi.

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Raphinha is under contract until the summer of 2027, but his future at Camp Nou has already been called into question amid Barcelona's financial concerns.

Barca have allegedly placed a €100m (£88.6m) price tag on the winger, the same figure that Arsenal refused to pay Shakhtar to sign Mudryk, although club president Joan Laporta is said to be willing to entertain offers below their current valuation.

Nevertheless, according to reports in Spain, Raphinha has no interest in joining Arsenal or any other club and is keen to remain at Barcelona.

The report adds that the winger's entourage are not considering a change of scene for their client who has spent just six months with the La Liga giants.

Raphinha recently expressed his commitment to Barcelona on Instagram following their 3-1 Spanish Super Cup win over Real Madrid on Sunday, posting: "The first (trophy) of the season, the first with this giant shirt that is Barcelona. Just thank you for this amazing moment. Let's go for more."

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Following Arsenal's 2-0 win over rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, Arteta reiterated his desire to improve his squad this month and shared his thoughts on missing out on Mudryk to Chelsea.

"We have excellent players," the Spaniard said at a post-match press conference. "We want to improve our squad in this transfer window and when I say we, myself, the coaching staff, the staff, the players, the board, and ownership.

"We are all in this together, but we will do the deals that we can do and that we believe is right for the football club."

Elsewhere, Arsenal have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Leandro Trossard, who wants to leave the club after falling out with manager Roberto De Zerbi.

The Gunners have also been linked with a big-money for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who has allegedly been identified as a top target ahead of the summer transfer window.